


Iron

by CreativeChemist



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Cell Games, Cell Games Saga, Gohan's about to rip Cell a new one, Gohan's anger, The Cell Games Saga breaks my heart every time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 06:32:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16928244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CreativeChemist/pseuds/CreativeChemist
Summary: "Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking." | William Butler Yeats





	Iron

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very short piece I wrote in response to the Season 3 finale of Dragon Ball Z Abridged! TeamFourStar (especially MasakoX!) did a superb job portraying Gohan's ascension to power—and descension to madness. Although I'm a little late in posting this, I hope you enjoy!

_No… What should I do? Dad, what should I do?_

Before him stood the world’s greatest terror, the one responsible for killing millions of innocents, a demon. A monster. A monster smirking, snickering under its breath at the mountains reddening with his loved ones’ blood. Iron. The air all around smelled, tasted like iron, bitter and biting and binding. His eyes stung with iron. His forehead and cheeks stung with iron.

Everything stung with iron.

A droplet of iron squeezed out the corner of his eye, smearing his vision clear and red. Why couldn’t he move his legs? Why couldn’t he race to save his friends—his dad? Why couldn’t he do anything? Why?

“P-please… Don’t… Don’t do this!”

Why was pleading the only thing he could do?

“Oh? What are you going to do about it, little runt?”

Its voice swung into his stomach like a pendulum.

“Come on. Show me your power. Show me the vast reserves of strength you claimed to possess! Or, would you rather say goodbye to your loved ones?”

“No…”

Iron all around. Iron in his head. Iron in his gut. Iron in his hands.

_Why can’t I save you?_

“I… I won’t let you—”

_You’re pathetic. You’ve never been able to save anybody else. It’s always everybody saving you._

It hurt. The vibrations in his hands. His heart pounding in his ears. The iron cutting his tongue.

The iron in his vision.

The iron under his feet.

All around him rocks were crumbling, small and large. He dug his nails into his palms, deeper, deeper, deeper…

_You’re a coward. You always run away when the enemy is too strong. But no one else ever does._

An iron clang resounded by his feet. An iron head smiled despite being detached from its body.

“I love the animals.”

One heavy step.

“Protect them…for me.”

Another heavy step.

“They need you.”

A stomp.

Iron flew everywhere. An iron laugh came from the monster.

So, so cold.

Iron flashed before his eyes. Blazing and searing and—

So,

so

hot.

He screamed.

The earth beneath his feet buckled and folded like sandpaper.

Time froze. The genocide atop the mountains grinded to a halt.

Iron.

It hardened his stance, hardened his eyes, hardened his tears.

Iron.

It was red. Everything was red. Everything including his target.

Iron.

It sparked all around, in his hair, in his eyes, in his veins.

It was all he needed to rip the monster’s wings off and send it to the hell from which it came.

Iron will.


End file.
